Communication
by Handful of Silence
Summary: Five times Sherlock could get something across in a text, and the one time it had to be said another way. Sherlock/John


_AN/ Shamelessly fluffy. It's a kind of self gift having got half-way through another darker Sherlock fic that while fun to write does make me feel like I'm abusing these two wonderful characters, so I'm giving them a break and penning something happier. Not really part of my overarching serious of one-shots, just something random =]_

_Experimental style, so if you have any comments, please tell me what you think. _

_Pairing: John/Sherlock_

* * *

><p><strong>Communication<strong>

_**5 times Sherlock could get something across in a text,  
><strong>__**and 1 time it had to be said another way**_

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

_Message sent  
><em>Need you to get some milk – SH

_Message sent  
><em>It's urgent – SH

_Message received  
><em>We've got milk. I bought some this morning. Next to the thigh-bone in the fridge– JW

_Message sent  
><em>Used it all. – SH

_Message received  
><em>That was a whole 2pt bottle! – JW

_Message received  
><em>How did you get through that much? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Conducted an experiment to discover how quickly the liquid curdles at different humidities. For the Westall case. Alibi depended on it. – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Didn't think you'd mind. – SH

_Message received  
><em>There's no milk for my tea now – JW

_Message sent  
><em>That's why you need to buy some more on the way home. Honestly, do you listen to anything I say? – SH

_Message received  
><em>You're actually unbelievable – JW

_Message received  
><em>Fine, look, I'll get some at Tesco's, ok? Happy now? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Happiness is a relative concept – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Need some teabags as well. PG Tips. – SH

_Message received  
><em>OK – JW

_Message sent  
><em>And Pepto Bismol. – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And 3 bottles of soda water. – SH

_Message sent  
><em>4 bottles – SH

_Message received  
><em>What for? – JW

_Message received  
><em>Actually, no, don't tell me. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Is nitric acid a possibility? – SH

_Message received  
><em>I'm pretty sure they don't sell it over the counter at Boots – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Pity – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Think some left in the tea pot anyway. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Fine. I'll get them. See you tonight – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Could you pick up a Chinese from Mr Wong's as well? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Don't push it Sherlock. – JW

* * *

><p><strong>II<strong>

_Message received  
><em>Body at Kings Cross. Platform 3. Hands and legs tied, yet no marks of struggling. Sacrificial knife near the body, wound doesn't match. Interested? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>I'll be there – SH

_Message received  
><em>Just you? What about John? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Not talking to me. – SH

_Message sent  
><em>I think it's what you'd call 'The Silent Treatment' – SH

_Message sent  
><em>It's horrendously dull – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Makes the whole atmosphere so boring – SH

_Message received  
><em>What did you do Sherlock? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Nothing – SH

_Message received  
><em>I don't believe you – GL

_Message sent  
><em>John is simply being irrational. I acted in no way improperly – SH

_Message received  
><em>Sherlock. What did you do? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Might have said something to him regarding his blog – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And his propensity for purple prose – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And incorrect and excessive use of adjectives when describing me – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And his multitude of factual errors when re-telling cases – SH

_Message received  
><em>You ever think about being nice to him? – GL

_Message received  
><em>He does put up with your more disagreeable habits. More than others would – GL

_Message sent  
><em>John is the one being disagreeable by not talking to me – SH

_Message sent  
><em>I was only pointing out his mistakes. I thought writers liked constructive criticism. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Not your type – GL

_Message sent  
><em>What do you mean, 'my type'? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Just don't push him too far. John's a good bloke, but even he has a breaking point – GL

_Message sent  
><em>How do you propose I go about gaining his forgiveness then? – SH

_Message received  
><em>You're asking me? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Obviously – SH

_Message received  
><em>The Great Sherlock Holmes is asking my humble opinion about something? – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Don't be childish Greg. It's not becoming – SH

_Message received  
><em>It's just such a landmark moment. I want to remember it – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Are you going to help me or not? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Apologise to him. – GL

_Message received  
><em>That's the general way of going about it. – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Tried that. He didn't believe I was serious. Thought I was mocking him – SH

_Message received  
><em>You do have a habit of being snarky – GL

_Message sent  
><em>That is not very helpful – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Anything else? – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Maximise those few plebeian brain cells of yours. This is a serious issue – SH

_Message received  
><em>Keep insults to a minimum for starters – GL

_Message sent  
><em>I maintain they were helpful criticisms – SH

_Message received  
><em>Offer to take him out. Chinese. Movie. IDK what you do in your spare time. – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Your use of abbreviations is distracting – SH

_Message received  
><em>LOL :-) – GL

_Message sent  
><em>And emoticons – SH

_Message received  
><em>Sherlock. Just be honest. Or considering your personal brand of honesty, do something to make up for it. Keep body parts to a minimum for a couple of days. Go to Angelo's. Give him a night off from cases. Let him watch a DVD. Rent him Monty Python. I know he's a fan. – GL

_Message sent  
><em>I'm aware of that – SH

_Message sent  
><em>He has a habit of quoting it. Incessantly. – SH

_Message received  
><em>No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition! – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Not you as well – SH

_Message sent  
><em>He's back from his 'walk'. I'll talk to him. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Remember to be nice – GL

_Message received  
><em>And are you going to be showing up at my crime scene at some point or not? – GL

_Message received  
><em>It's getting cold. Sally wont shut up – GL

_Message received  
><em>I'll have to let Anderson at the body soon. He'll want to examine it. Possibly mess up the evidence... – GL

_Message sent  
><em>Don't you dare – SH

_Message sent  
><em>We'll be there – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Thanks Greg – SH

_Message sent  
><em>:-) – SH

* * *

><p><strong>III<strong>

_Message received  
><em>Found the necklace – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Good – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Now get out of there before Richards shows up. He'll be back soon – SH

_Message received  
><em>Shit – JW

_Message received  
><em>He's here early – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Where? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Downstairs – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Can you reach the back door? – SH

_Message received  
><em>There is no back door. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Try the front door – SH

_Message sent  
><em>John? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Your texts are distracting me Sherlock – JW

_Message received  
><em>And no. He's standing right by it. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Have you tried the windows? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Do I look like a complete idiot? They're locked. There is only one way out and he's standing by it with a bunch of his mates. They look angry. And big. – JW

_Message received  
><em>Bloody hell, he's going to check the case. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Your language really does get worse when you are agitated – SH

_Message received  
><em>Not now Sherlock – JW

_Message received  
><em>He's shouting a lot. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Having a jewellery worth 3k taken from you will do that – SH

_Message received  
><em>He did steal it in the first place – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Where are you hiding? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Wardrobe – JW

_Message received  
><em>Just hope he doesn't want to change his shirt. – JW

_Message received  
><em>Some of this stuff hasn't seen the light of day since the 70s – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Focus John. Is he still there? – SH

_Message received  
><em>What do u think – JW

_Message received  
><em>Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude. Just don't want to die in the closet – JW

_Message received  
><em>And don't make jokes from that – JW

_Message sent  
><em>You aren't going to die. Don't be an idiot – SH

_Message sent  
><em>I'd be lost without my blogger – SH

_Message received  
><em>You'd be fine – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Nonsense. Your absence would be extremely detrimental to my work – SH

_Message sent  
><em>You are a far better partner than the skull ever was – SH

_Message received  
><em>Is that a Sherlockian way of saying you like having me round? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>I believe so – SH

_Message received  
><em>Thanks Sherlock – JW

_Message received  
><em>I like working with you too – JW

_Message received  
><em>Even if your role as a room-mate leaves much to be desired ;-) – JW

_Message received  
><em>I'm still stuck in the closet though – JW

_Message sent  
><em>There is a temptation to make some form of childish comment from that – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Something you want to tell me John? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Don't be insufferable – JW

_Message received  
><em>There's someone downstairs. Woman. – JW

_Message received  
><em>Jesus, it's Bethany Carter. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Can't be. Why would she hire us to find the necklace if she knew where it was? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Telling u, it's her – JW

_Message received  
><em>Sounds like her and Richards are league together – JW

_Message received  
><em>Oh god – JW

_Message received  
><em>She knew we were going to try and get it back. And I didn't lock the door when I came in – JW

_Message sent  
><em>And? – SH

_Message received  
><em>I didn't lock the bloody door Sherlock! – JW

_Message received  
><em>Sooner or later, they're gonna figure out I'm still in the house – JW

_Message sent  
><em>John, I've called Lestrade to arrest Richards and Carter. Just hold tight – SH

_Message received  
><em>They know I'm here. They've figured it out – JW

_Message received  
><em>Theyre coming upstairs – JW

_Message received  
><em>I meant what I said bout liking workin with u. And u rnt that bad a flatmate. Remember to eat and not to go days without sleep, for me? An dont use my gun too much, be nice to lestrade. don't give donovan too much grief, anderson youre fine wit. – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Stop panicking. You'll be fine, we'll get you out of there. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Theyre in room – JW

_Message received  
><em>Bin amazin sherlock. thanx for everythin – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Stop it. You aren't going to die. Lestrade's 10 minutes away. – SH

_Message sent  
><em>John?– SH

_Message sent  
><em>John reply – SH

_Message sent  
><em>JOHN? – SH

* * *

><p><strong>IV<strong>

_Message received  
><em>I imagine you're still at the hospital? – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Go away – SH

_Message received  
><em>So disagreeable as usual brother. What have I ever done to deserve your ire? – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Breathed – SH

_Message received  
><em>Tut tut. Mummy wouldn't approve of your childishness – MH

_Message sent  
><em>I'm not in the mood. Go. Away. – SH

_Message received  
><em>I take it from your tone that the estimable Dr Watson has not woken up yet ? – MH

_Message received  
><em>With the injuries he incurred I am not surprised – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Will you just go away? – SH

_Message received  
><em>No – MH

_Message received  
><em>I am concerned about you. Surprising as it appears to me, I can see how attached you've become to the doctor – MH

_Message sent  
><em>He has a name – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Use it – SH

_Message received  
><em>To John then. Considering your attachment to him, I am concerned of the psychological repercussions his being injured will have on you – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Don't call it that – SH

_Message received  
><em>What? – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Being injured. It sounds so blasé. Like he's fallen over or hit his head. Mundane. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Unlike the reality of the bullet wound in his chest, yes? – MH

_Message received  
><em>Sherlock, please. I'm only worried about you – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Be worried about John. He's the one in hospital. On my account. Again – SH

_Message received  
><em>It wasn't your fault – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Don't be dull Mycroft. It is boring and common. Of course it was my fault – SH

_Message sent  
><em>No one else told John to break into that house – SH

_Message sent  
><em>No one else told him to steal that necklace, regardless of the danger – SH

_Message sent  
><em>No one else is the sole reason they assaulted and shot him – SH

_Message received  
><em>He knew the risks. He would have done it anyway – MH

_Message sent  
><em>That is what concerns me – SH

_Message received  
><em>Why? – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Obviously this diet you're on is making you lose brain cells as well as pounds. My lifestyle is dangerous. Exposing John to such a level is unfair, regardless of whether he is willing or not – SH

_Message received  
><em>The man is a soldier. He has seen the battlefield already – MH

_Message sent  
><em>That does not excuse me. – SH

_Message received  
><em>I think you are being completely unreasonable about this. John would agree with me – MH

_Message sent  
><em>John is currently dosed up on Morphine and sleeping. I don't think his opinion can be brought into this – SH

_Message received  
><em>Just because you want to protect him doesn't mean you should disregard common sense – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Who says I want to protect him? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Don't start with the whole sociopath routine again. It is very tiresome, and both you and I know completely unfounded.

_Message received  
><em>You care about John. More than I thought you had the capacity for. And as he has been hurt in this battle of yours, obviously you are considering distancing him from your lifestyle, out of the war zone in a bid to prevent such instances having a repeat – MH

_Message sent  
><em>If I wanted an evaluation of my psyche I would have gone to John's therapist – SH

_Message received  
><em>You know I'm right – MH

_Message received  
><em>Aren't I? – MH

_Message sent  
><em>I am unable to keep him safe Mycroft – SH

_Message received  
><em>But you can keep him happy. Can you remember how he was when he was invalided out of the first battlefield? I cannot imagine him taking it well if you should attempt to remove him from another – MH

_Message received  
><em>I cannot say this kind of incident will never happen again, but that is the risk you take. And John seems to have thrown his lot in with you for the long run – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Because he's an idiot. – SH

_Message received  
><em>Albeit a curiously loyal one – MH

_Message received  
><em>He is alive Sherlock. Surely that matters above all else – MH

_Message received  
><em>Now, what about actually leaving John's bedside and at the very least getting some food – MH

_Message sent  
><em>CCTV again? Getting rather repetitive – SH

_Message received  
><em>Gets the job done. – MH

_Message sent  
><em>Don't you have a middle eastern country to terrorize? – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Or is just terrorizing me enough? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Polite as always brother – MH

_Message sent  
><em>=P – SH

* * *

><p><strong>V<strong>

_Message sent  
><em>Would you like to go out to dinner with me? – SH

_Message received  
><em>What? – JW

_Message received  
><em>Are you sure this is a good time to be asking? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Why would the timing have any bearing on the question? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Have you noticed where we are ATM? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Please refrain from using simplistic abbreviations. And yes, I have – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Why? – SH

_Message received  
><em>We're being shot at! – JW

_Message sent  
><em>And? – SH

_Message sent  
><em>The wall is taking most of them – SH

_Message received  
><em>Under the danger of being shot, hiding behind a wall, surely asking now is a bad time – JW

_Message received  
><em>Or am I missing something really obvious? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Oh please. They aren't going to hit us. Their marksmanship is dreadfully poor – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Apart from that one. That was close – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And that one – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Your frowning at me doesn't have the desired effect from over there – SH

_Message sent  
><em>So, dinner? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Why this all of a sudden? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>A man can't offer to take his partner out for a meal without suspicion? – SH

_Message received  
><em>If you are the partner, no – JW

_Message received  
><em>Is this to do with a case? The only reason you'd ask – JW

_Message received  
><em>Duck your head, that one on the left is getting better aim – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Your lack of trust wounds me John – SH

_Message received  
><em>No it doesn't – JW

_Message sent  
><em>OK, no it doesn't – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Let's say, 7 tonight? Angelo's? – SH

_Message sent  
><em>If you're still hungry after, we could have something back at the flat – SH

_Message sent  
><em>;-) – SH

_Message received  
><em>God, you're using smilies. And innuendo – JW

_Message received  
><em>We're all doomed – JW

_Message sent  
><em>This lot should run out of ammo anyway soon, so we can reach the alternate exit without being shot. We could get back to the flat early. Have a quick snack – SH

_Message received  
><em>I do hope you aren't referring to making toast– JW

_Message sent  
><em>I'm referring it in any way you want to take it, my dear blogger – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Preferably with lots of moaning and writhing – SH

_Message sent  
><em>And you calling my name very loudly – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Sound appealing? – SH

_Message received  
><em>God yes – JW

_Message received  
><em>But now, stop it – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Why? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Don't play coy. You know exactly what you're doing and this is not the best time – JW

_Message sent  
><em>You look flushed from where I am standing. Are you feeling feverish? – SH

_Message received  
><em>Screw you – JW

_Message sent  
><em>I intend you to – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Let's try for three complaints of disturbance of the peace this time – SH

_Message received  
><em>Challenge accepted :-) – JW

_Message received  
><em>Think they're running out of ammo – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Eager to get home all of a sudden? – SH

_Message received  
><em>With what I have planned, definitely – JW

_Message sent  
><em>Ready to make a run for it? We'll split up to have a better chance. Lead them right into the trap – SH

_Message received  
><em>Thank god for Lestrade. This could have gone on indefinitely – JW

_Message received  
><em>Meet you back at the flat in 10? – JW

_Message sent  
><em>I'll be waiting – SH

_Message sent  
><em>Getting 'ready' – SH

_Message sent  
><em>That thing you bought still in the top drawer? – SH

_Message sent  
><em>I fully intend to put it into extended practice tonight – SH

_Message received  
><em>I'll pocket Lestrade's cuffs while you talk to him – JW

_Message sent  
><em>I seem to be a bad influence on you – SH

_Message sent  
><em>I will however show you my gratitude – SH

_Message received  
><em>Be there in 5 – JW

* * *

><p><strong>+ I<strong>

_Draft (1) (no recipient)  
><em>I'm no good at eloquent speeches, John. You have pointed out at many intervals that I find it hard to relate to normal human emotion, something which I once contributed to sociopathy. But I find the more our relationship progresses that I'm finding more and more about my scope for passions that before I would have dismissed. I just want to say... **Message deleted**

_Draft (1) (no recipient)  
><em>The idea of losing you concerns me. No, concern is too paltry a word. It is worry. Fear. I am scared of losing you. The concept is alien to me, and even considering it as a possibility makes my body react in a foreign manner. I have no control over this and it frustrates me in equal measure as it attracts me. How you have managed to intricate yourself so closely into my life is... **Message deleted**

_Draft (1) (no recipient)  
><em>You are mine. I cannot lose you. Not by criminals, or bombs, or guns. Not even Moriarty. I will always choose you over them given the chance. I know you never imagined me as a romantic, I confess I have more of a natural slant towards realism. Am I doing this right?... **Message deleted**

_Draft (1) (no recipient)  
><em>Why is it so hard to put across human emotion in words? It is inexplicable. Infuriating. I know what I want to say. I only have 26 letters with which to rearrange. How am I am unable to express the sentiment I wish... **Message deleted**

_Draft (1) (no recipient)  
><em>... **Message deleted**

_Message sent  
><em>John. Get in here now. – SH

The immediate tone of the message did the trick. The hour might have been late, verging on twelve, and John had only gone to bed with the intention of sleeping soundly till the morning in the last twenty minutes, but the doctor would read it. He never turned his mobile off – still the old off cast that Harry gave him – because he knew from experience that Sherlock would always get in touch at all hours for one thing or another. After a few moments of Sherlock waiting, during which John was roused from slumber and was sluggishly trying to make out the small type on the glowing small screen, there was the noise of John getting up, the bed creaking, feet hitting the floor. Rushing into the living room, the doctor's sleep filled eyes were nonetheless wide, hair askew and flicking up at gravity-defying angles, looking for all the world like he imagined some sort of apocalypse happening right in this room; spilt acid, or a gas leak, or something else horrendous and entirely of Sherlock's doing.

"Sherlock?" John asked as he moved closer to the sofa, bewildered, glancing around the room to sight the danger, a flash of annoyance beginning to creep across his face as he realised that there didn't seem to be anything immediately pressing, therefore assuming that Sherlock had possibly just woken him up because the detective was bored "What is it? What have you – mmmph"

Sherlock had stood with a languid motion, and took the step required to bring him up close to the doctor, immediately silencing him by an uncharacteristically forward kiss. He crowded up against John, invading every inch of space by pressing against him, tilting his head at what he had calculated as the correct angle to move impossibly nearer. He hooked a long gangly arm around the back of John's head, pulling him in, doing everything he could to achieve the impossible, to be able to properly tell someone something with only touch, only sensation. But John gave a soft groan under the intensity of the touch, yet did not move away, a hand balancing itself on Sherlock's hip, so maybe he understood Sherlock's code, a cipher built on the foundation of human reaction.

"Love you" Sherlock rumbled out in a low voice, raw, honest. And he'd never said those words before, not in the capacity he meant them in, not to anyone, had never known how; but he did now, speaking aloud and translating the pounding light-headed sensation he was experiencing into the representative bond of words. Not many, because the message was backed up by an increase in touch as he pressed more kisses onto John, murmuring the words over, cementing them in reality as he alternated from trailing soft lips along the doctor's jaw to sensuously nipping along the exposed skin of the earlobe. It wasn't subtle or graceful, because being in love wasn't an art, and Sherlock was perfectly content to take years to learn the craft to the best of his ability. At times their lips mashed together and it was almost a battle, an attempt at domination, but they made up for it with shear force, eager and unrestrained.

John was breathless as their lips separated a minor distance, their faces still up close to each other, breathing in the same close heated air as they caught their breath.

"That was unexpected" John gave a crinkled little smile.

"Couldn't figure out how else to tell you" Sherlock replied.

"You couldn't have texted me?" John's smile was playful.

"It required a different method of explanation"

"You might have to say it again, then. I didn't quite catch it" John smirked, eyes lighting up in mischief, another spark there of something rawer, fervent. He wasn't sleepy at all now. And to that Sherlock gave what sounded like a growl at the back of his throat, pushing his lips back against John's with a pressured heat that made his intention very clear.

He imagined that this conversation might go on well into the night.


End file.
